The Redundancy podcast

if A>50 then E=0. In other words if you are 50 or older then your experience likely equals zero interest to many employers and recruiters. Despite having a purpose, role and status in your previous jobs this enormous bank of hard earned experience, maturity and value seemingly counts for nothing on being made redundant. For many older workers their job search can end in disappointment and even, if they get an interview, they may get a cold reception when recruiters find out their age. So what can you do? Continue applying for hundreds of jobs and face regular rejection as you come up against ageism?Start your own business? Or is there a third road you could take?

‘I’ve never been happier.’ Not a phrase you might associate with life after redundancy but, for many, that enforced break leads to new opportunities. After a long career working for the Australian Government Cindy Sciberras found herself unemployed following a redundancy during the pandemic. Using her skills as a journalist she started her own podcast to find out how other Australians, who’d also been made redundant, were faring in a tough economy and what they were doing to find new incomes. Cindy shares her her findings, insights and describes her new direction - and how she’s never been happier.

The emotions you’ll likely feel following a redundancy or layoff can affect your moods for a long time. Even if you saw redundancy coming, it still comes as a shock. The emotions you’ll experience have been likened to a bereavement. Paula Gardner, psychologist and coach, talks about what is normal and strategies for dealing with this difficult period. Paula also talks about what women in their 50s, who are facing mid life career change, divorce and confidence issues can do in their search for meaning and a desire for visibility.

18 guests 6 countries 6 themes. During 2020 18 fantastic guests from 6 different countries joined me on the podcast to talk about a range of issues that affect older workers. Many offered practical help and guidance in finding a new full time role or how you might go about considering other options such as self employment or early retirement. Several guests described candid personal experiences around unemployment and two prominent academics discussed the issues affecting groups of workers who face additional challenges. These brief extracts give a taste of their expertise and views. The podcasts were heard in over 50 countries.

Transition. One word. Many meanings - changeover, conversion, development, growth, progress, upheaval. We will all face that time when our career draws to an end and we have to consider what we do next. We may have a further 20 to 30 years ahead of us. So what might we do? Keep working, work part time, start our own business, retire (if that is an option)? Larry Steward is a life transition coach and discusses the options and journey that we can choose to take and what it can mean to you.

‘You know, when you are over 60 and you don’t have work, it’s not even worth living.’ Redundancy, or being laid off, has largely lost its stigma in the West. Most view it for what it is - an unfortunate outcome of difficult economic trading conditions with legislation to ensure some semblance of fairness in the process. But, in Asia, redundancy still retains a stigma - YOU must have personally failed in some way. Sabyasachi (Saby) Sengupta talks about the different cultural approaches to redundancy between Asia and the West and why, wherever you live, you need to be thinking about ‘What’s your Plan B,’ Saby’s new book available now.

If you are in your 50s you may still be looking at 15 to 20 years in the workplace. But what happens if your role has been made redundant? Or maybe you’re looking for something else to do - working in another sector, taking a step back or volunteering. That transition can seem daunting. What ever you want to do that sense of looking for meaning and purpose in your life might be making you feel Restless. Stuart Lewis, CEO of Restless UK, talks about his vision for those in their 50s and supporting them through that important change.

Career. Status. Position. Celebrity. Money. You have it all. Then, one day, you don’t. It comes to an abrupt end. And you can’t get another role. No one seems to want you anymore. The impact of continuous rejection following the loss of a job can affect your mental health and, for some, lead to an inexorable decline into clinical depression. Vipp Jaswal talks candidly about his journey into depression and back.

Your role has been made redundant, you've been laid off. What do you do now? It's a confusing maze. Do you want to go back into full time employment, is self employment an option, should you consider retiring, what do you do with social media? What do you want, do you really, really want? And how do you get it? In conversation with Steve Preston the 'Career Catalyst'.

Proven leader of people. Calm under pressure. Loyal and dependable. Trained and well qualified. Multi-skilled. What employer wouldn’t want you? Many, it seems, if you are a long service military veteran entering civilian employment for the first time after joining up. Professor Matt Flynn, (Hull University, UK) discusses his research into the unique challenges faced by older military veterans after long service careers.

Tell me about a time when you used your attention to detail to uncover an error. Describe a time when you were required to communicate a difficult or unpleasant idea to your boss. Describe a time when you have had to use your conflict resolution skills in the workplace. These are typical of questions asked in a behavioural or competency based interview. In this podcast Leah Lambart, expert Career & Interview Coach from Melbourne gives advice on how to prepare for them, use the STAR technique to answer and outlines common mistakes candidates make - and how to avoid them.

You’re 66. Time to retire, right? That’s the stereotype, that’s often what is expected people of that age will do…but not for Paul Tasner (TedTalk, 2017 ‘How I became an entrepreneur at 66'). In this podcast Paul talks more about his reasons for starting a business, where the passion comes from, the challenges and rewards, managing work/life balance and the mistakes that older entrepreneurs make.

If you've managed to get to an interview and your interview answers sound like this; 'Ummm, errr, y'know, ahhhh' then you might need to work on your interview and presentation skills. In conversation with Brenden Kumarasamy who is the founder of MasterTalk, a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBYFP4mZLQovr7W6Si6sueA)he created to help others master the art of communication and public speaking. Learn tips on how to deal with video, telephone and panel interviews - and those unexpected questions.

What do Airbnb, Burger King, General Motors, CNN and Uber have in common? They were all founded during economic downturns. CNN started broadcasting in the USA when inflation was about 15%. There are huge opportunities even in hard times. In this podcast Wendy Mayhew, author of 'WISER; the definitive guide to starting a business after the age of 50', talks about why now might be a great time to start your own enterprise.

'I would never have put down as one of my goals [when asked] where do you see yourself in 5 years' time...well driving a supermarket van acutally.' Job hunting in a Covid world will be tough for many but older workers are likely to find it much harder. In the last big recession, 2007 to 2009, research in the States showed that unemployed workers in their fifties and above were about a fifth less likely than those age 25 to 34 to become reemployed. In this podcast Ian Adams (who was a guest in 2019) speaks candidly about his current experience looking for a job and the compromises he's made. His 1st podcast can be heard here http://bit.ly/3afBu7l